Bold, at 6000 West Q Ave. in Texas Township, has a solution
for those of us whose palates and wallets don't quite match up. Chef Andy Havey, a Kalamazoo native, has created an innovative menu that's won raves from
food critics.

On Mondays, all of Bold's small plates (except for the
scallop dishes) are 50 percent off. It's proved so popular that, about a week
out, the earliest reservation time I could snag for a party of three was 8 p.m.

It was a snowy evening, so not all the tables were filled. The
table next to the fire we were escorted to was most welcome, and the staff was
uniformly gracious and attentive.

We don't drink alcohol and we've been given the cold
shoulder by wait staff at other "fine dining establishments." Nor has our middle-school aged son always been
regarded with favor.

That was definitely not the case with Bold. The large party
with two remarkably well-behaved babies sitting next to us was given the same
level of attention as the couple ordering wine and multiple courses. Our water
glasses were never even close to empty. They also brought silverware for subsequent
courses, which immediately earned them bonus points in my book. Staff offered to box leftovers without even
being asked and held the boxes in the back until we were ready to leave, so
that we weren't juggling leftovers and dessert.

We weren't sure how much to order, but across the board, the "small plates"
were remarkably filling.

MLive

As soon as my husband saw that the Caesar salad
included anchovies, he had to have one. (My reaction was, um, a little
different.) I went with the wedge salad,
which came with a spicy buttermilk dressing with enough kick that my son had to
grab for his water glass after he had a bite.

Both salads were fresh and tasty, but the boy won the first
course selection. He ordered the risotto fritters with red pepper coulis and
enjoyed every warm and cheesy bite. He also shared – they are truly yummy.

For our "main" course, we each ordered a small plate. My
husband and I both ordered one of the days' specials. I got the brochettes,
which was four ounces of tenderloin on a skewer, served over asparagus with a Boursin
and scallion sauce and topped with haystack onions. It was outstanding, and I
was stuffed.

Brian ordered the mahi mahi, which was topped with a carrot
slaw and served over wasabi udon noodles. He loved every bite.

Nate went with the steak and sausage flatbread, which combined tenderloin tips, Andouille sausage, a six-pepper tomato sauce, goat cheese,
potatoes and a fried egg on top. This was also very tasty – even as leftovers
the next day.

Colleagues had told me under no circumstances to skip the
Bold Bananas, so we took one for the team. Brian and I shared the banana-walnut-fudge
ice cream in a chocolate shell, surrounded by brown-sugar and rum-glazed
bananas and topped with whipped cream. I don't normally care for bananas in
desserts, but this was a bowl of gooey deliciousness. It is also amazingly
rich: The two of us together couldn't finish it.

However, the kid outdid us once again. He ordered the budino,
a light Italian butterscotch pudding topped with salted caramel and whipped
cream.

After the $25 discount, the total was about $50 – roughly what
we would spend for dinner for three at a chain restaurant with far more generic
food.

Even before the check arrived, our son was asking if we
could come back again. Definitely, as long as it's on a Monday. And next time,
I'm letting the boy order for me.

Yvonne Zipp is an education reporter for MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. You can reach her at yzipp@mlive.com or 269-365-8639.